Attachment style and suicide behaviors in high risk psychiatric inpatients following hospital discharge: The mediating role of entrapment

Insecure attachment is associated with suicidal behavior. This relationship and its possible mediators have not been examined in high-risk psychiatric inpatients with respect to the critical high-risk period following hospital discharge. Attachment styles and perception of entrapment were assessed in 200 high-risk adult psychiatric inpatients hospitalized following suicidal ideation or suicide attempt. Suicidal behaviors were evaluated with the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale at 1–2 months post-discharge. Associations between different attachment styles and suicidal behaviors were assessed and mediation of attachment effects by entrapment was modeled. Fearful attachment was associated with post-discharge suicidal behavior and there was a trend-level negative association for secure attachment. In addition, entrapment mediated the relationship between fearful attachment and suicidal behavior. The current study highlights the mediating role of perceptions of entrapment in the contribution of fearful attachment to suicidal behavior in high-risk patients, suggesting entrapment as potential therapeutic target to prevent suicidal behavior in these individuals. Further research is warranted to establish the mechanisms by which entrapment experiences emerge in patients with insecure attachment styles.